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Microsoft has partnered with the Doritos and Mountain Dew brands to give away thousands of Xbox Ones in exchange for the longevity of your health, a press release revealed last week.

Specially-marked packages of Mountain Dew and Doritos will contain codes to be used as currency in online auctions for Xbox One consoles beginning on November 5. Participants can begin to stockpile codes on the contest's website on September 30, but nothing's stopping anyone from stockpiling the snack foods for the next two months.

PAX Prime attendees can also scan QR codes hidden in the convention center to bid on Xbox One systems in an auction on Sunday from 9 p.m. til midnight PST. The QR codes can be scanned with the PAX Guidebook App to bid on one of 30 Xbox One consoles, as well as subscription cards, gaming headsets and general merchandise. The press release notes that some codes "are worth more than others," so scrounging for as many as you can find might be worth your time.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contestdoritosmicrosoftmountain-dewPAXpax-primesweepstakesxboxxbox-oneSat, 31 Aug 2013 17:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/13/halo-4-players-cry-out-from-atop-mt-dew-wheres-our-double-xp/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/13/halo-4-players-cry-out-from-atop-mt-dew-wheres-our-double-xp/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/13/halo-4-players-cry-out-from-atop-mt-dew-wheres-our-double-xp/#commentsThe promotional union between Halo 4 and PepsiCo, the latter being proprietor of the vast Doritos and Mountain Dew empires, is drawing ire from the game's community today - not for the delicious blend of accelerated promotion and bold spices, but because it's not working. Players are running into issues getting their bonus experience points.

Halo 4 owners must register on a promotional website before applying their codes to the game, but even those who have done so are claiming their double XP rewards as missing in action. Microsoft has yet to respond to the Halo Waypoint forums in which the complaints originate.

We've contacted Microsoft to see if this is an acknowledged issue and, if so, what steps are being taken to rectify it. In the meantime, it may behoove you to hold back on the double XP and level up like the common people.

Update: A Microsoft spokesperson told Joystiq that the company is aware of the issue and has already resolved it. "Last week we were made aware that some users were not being properly rewarded Double XP, and we promptly addressed the situation. Double XP rewards are now working as intended. There are still a few users that we are currently working to credit their accounts with Double XP games that were lost."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bugDoritosdouble-xpglitchHalo 4halo-4microsoftMicrosoft Corpmicrosoft-studiosMountain Dewmountain-dewPepsiCoSci/TechxboxTue, 13 Nov 2012 07:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/01/halo-4-comes-to-ios-as-a-mountain-dew-doritos-7-eleven-promo/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/01/halo-4-comes-to-ios-as-a-mountain-dew-doritos-7-eleven-promo/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/01/halo-4-comes-to-ios-as-a-mountain-dew-doritos-7-eleven-promo/#commentsThe good news: There's an official Halo 4 game on iOS. The better news: it's free! The moment you become furious with us for those first two sentences: the full name of the app is "Halo 4: King of the Hill Fuled by Dew." Yes, "fuled."

The exclusive soft-drink soaked experience brings in 7-Eleven and Doritos for the most authentic Halo experience, allowing you to compete to become "king of the hill." And by "hill" we mean "7-Eleven," by "king" we mean "person who is always in a 7-Eleven," and by "compete" we mean "scan Mountain Dew and Doritos products in that 7-Eleven you're constantly loitering in."

You'll unlock double XP and an "Exclusive Custom Locus Helmet" for the non-Dew-fueled Xbox 360 Halo 4 by playing, and you'll forever associate "alien warzones" with 7-Eleven. Just like they want you to, apparently.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>7-elevenadvergamingdoritoshalo-4halo-4-king-of-the-hill-fueled-by-dewiosiphonemobilemountain-dewThu, 01 Nov 2012 11:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/02/halo-4-teams-up-with-doritos-and-mountain-dew-for-double-xp/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/02/halo-4-teams-up-with-doritos-and-mountain-dew-for-double-xp/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/02/halo-4-teams-up-with-doritos-and-mountain-dew-for-double-xp/#commentsWhile you may think that science and malleable metal alloys comprise the majority of what makes a Spartan so special, the reality is that even John-117 himself is little more than a crunchy cool ranch husk filled with carbonated green stuff. Spartans are made of Doritos and Mountain Dew, is what we're saying - that's why the PR partnership between Halo 4 and PepsiCo seems like such a no-brainer.

Potential players can get a head start on accruing extra experience by registering an account over at dewxp.com or doritosxp.com. Select codes from Mountain Dew and Doritos packages - starting on October 15 - can be used to increase your XP in Halo. There are also goodies up for grabs, including consoles and controllers, Warthog toys and free Xbox Live subscriptions, among many other prizes.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>343-industriesdoritoshalo-4microsoftmicrosoft-studiosmountain-dewxboxTue, 02 Oct 2012 00:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/20/psa-capcom-wants-to-buy-your-resident-evil-stories-at-a-fair-pr/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/20/psa-capcom-wants-to-buy-your-resident-evil-stories-at-a-fair-pr/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/20/psa-capcom-wants-to-buy-your-resident-evil-stories-at-a-fair-pr/#comments
Capcom wants to tell the world how much of a scaredy-cat sap you are, but since it doesn't have cameras installed in your consoles (yet) it needs your help. To celebrate HD versions of RE 4 and Code Veronica X hitting Xbox Live and PSN in September, Capcom is making a video series of its fans' most memorable moments and wants your best freak outs, sob stories and nostalgia bombs to share with the world.

Send your stories to the games' official site in the form of text, videos, photos, shoebox diorama, or whatever twisted method you can concoct, for the chance to be featured in the video and win some mysterious prizes. If we were sentimental, we'd tell Capcom about our junior year, where every day after school we went to our best friend's house to play RE 4, fingers orange with Doritos residue, screaming and spilling Coke on the carpet whenever Leon ran into a bag-headed madman, then laughing for no good reason other than the knowledge that it was the best time of our young lives. If we were sentimental. If.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Capcomdoritosmicrosoftplaystationps3resident-evil-4-hdresident-evil-code-veronica-x-hdxboxSat, 20 Aug 2011 20:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/30/doritos-crash-course-wins-unlock-xbox-challenge/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/30/doritos-crash-course-wins-unlock-xbox-challenge/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/30/doritos-crash-course-wins-unlock-xbox-challenge/#comments
You think little Jill Robertson ever imagined she'd grow up to be a game consultant ... for Doritos? As the winner of the Doritos "Unlock Xbox" challenge, Robertson will have the opportunity to work a six-month stint for the chip maker, baking up gaming ideas. She's also pocketed $50,000.

Robertson's Doritos Crash Course beat out Justin Carpenter's Harms Way in the three-week voting period that began earlier this month when the two finalists' games were released for free on Xbox Live Arcade. According to Frito-Lay, the games accounted for more than two million combined downloads during that time, and they'll remain available as free XBLA games for the foreseeable future.

In a "last-minute twist," Doritos also awarded Carpenter a $50,000 cash prize, though he would appear to be stuck at his plain old day job for now.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>doritosdoritos-crash-courseharms-wayjill-robertsonmicrosoftunlock-xboxXBLAxboxThu, 30 Dec 2010 18:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/08/get-into-harms-way-doritos-crash-course-and-bomberman-battlefes/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/08/get-into-harms-way-doritos-crash-course-and-bomberman-battlefes/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/08/get-into-harms-way-doritos-crash-course-and-bomberman-battlefes/#comments
The two final contenders in the Doritos-sponsored "Unlock Xbox" game design contest have been fully realized and released as Xbox Live Arcade games today, for free. Until December 26, you can cast your vote for either Doritos Cash Course (download) or Harms Way (download) through the Xbox Unlock ad on the Dashboard, with the winner to be announced on December 29 and offered a 50G (that's dollars, not Achievement points) part-time, game consulting gig with Doritos.

Perhaps overshadowed by the flavorful showdown, the previously announcedBomberman Live sequel, Battlefest (download), is also available on the Arcade today for 800 Microsoft Points ($10). Additionally, the third Lara Croft: GoL challenge pack add-on, "A Hazardous Reunion" (download), has been released for 400 points ($5), along with the "Marvel Pinball" tables (download/trial) for Pinball FX 2, priced at 800 points.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a-hazardous-reunionavatar-crash-coursebomberman-live-battlefestchallenge-pack-3costume-questdlcdoritosdoritos-crash-coursegrubbins-on-iceharms-waylara-croft-and-the-guardian-of-lightmarvel-pinballmicrosoftpinball-fx-2unlock-xboxxblaxblawednesdayxblmxboxWed, 08 Dec 2010 11:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/01/harms-way-goes-from-dream-to-screens-trailer/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/01/harms-way-goes-from-dream-to-screens-trailer/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/01/harms-way-goes-from-dream-to-screens-trailer/#comments
It's so rare that we get into something before it's cool, that we have to savor it when it happens. In January, we were smitten with the concept behind Dorito's Unlock Xbox finalist Harms Way. Well, a little less than a year of development later and creator Justin Carpenter and developer Bongfish are putting the finishing touches on the shooting-driving hybrid and prepping it for release this month. It will vie for votes with Jill Robertson's Avatar Crash Course.

We've got a bunch of screens and the first trailer after the break, as well as a quick chat in which IRS staffer and college student Justin tells us how the reality of game development stacks up to the dream.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bongfishdoritosdoritos-unlock-xboxharms-wayjustin-carpentermicrosoftunlock-xboxxblaxboxWed, 01 Dec 2010 12:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/25/madden-11-finally-gets-oft-requested-doritos-3d-functionality/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/25/madden-11-finally-gets-oft-requested-doritos-3d-functionality/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/25/madden-11-finally-gets-oft-requested-doritos-3d-functionality/#comments
In one of the most bizarre yet unavoidable cross-promotions to ever rear its head in the video game industry, EA Sports and Doritos Flavor-Dusted Corn Chips[TM] have announced a new "Doritos 3-D mode" accessible in Madden 11. To unlock the new visuals, which we assume introduce a 3D effect into the game (and don't turn everything on the field into Doritos), you've got to enter in a code found in specially marked packs of the aforementioned snack chips, then strap on a pair of old-school red-and-cyan glasses -- or the Doritos-branded glasses currently on sale for $2.99. (Fun fact: the glasses and the snack taste about the same!)

We'd love to see exactly what "Doritos 3-D mode" entails, but unfortunately, these codes are only available in packs of Cool Ranch and Nacho Cheese 'itos. Our refined palette requires more sophisticated flavor-hues, like Ragin' Lobster Bisque and Extreme Herbes de Provence Chicken with Mushroom Reduction.

What's gonna give Halo: Reach the best shot at topping Modern Warfare 2's$310 million in day-one sales? Marketing. Much to no one's surprise, Microsoft is splurging on its biggest game campaign to date, according to Advertising Age. While Reach's marketing budget has not been disclosed, it's expected to easily top Halo 3's reported $6.5 million bill.

The ad campaign, which began in earnest with a big-budget plug ... for the multiplayer beta (way back in April), will continue to use live-action segments to attempt to forge an emotional connection with a broad audience across TV and the web. "We're trying to get people to connect back to their lives, not computer graphics or something overly sci-fi," Taylor Smith, director of global marketing communications for Xbox, told Ad Age. "Live action is a way to capture that." In particular, director Noam Murro (Smart People) has created three live-action short films that depict life on planet Reach before the Covenant invasion.

Meanwhile, potential buyers will be urged to "remember Reach" as they consume Pepsi products. A renewed partnership between Microsoft and the snack-time mogul will put Halo branding on some 300 million Mountain Dew bottles and 30 million Doritos bags beginning next month. Of course, to top past efforts, Microsoft will expand the Reach campaign beyond these somewhat pedestrian reminders: Cue massive KUKA KR 140 robotic arm!

The viral site RememberReach.com, which becomes fully operational at 3AM ET tomorrow, features a user-generated light sculpture of Reach'sNoble Team, created by the robo-arm and some fancy camera equipment. Typically used to assemble cars, this KUKA bot has been outfitted with an LED and stationed in an undisclosed San Francisco warehouse. As detailed by GameLife, visitors will direct the machine to plot the 54,000 points of light that will form this Noble Team "monument." Bizarre.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adsadvertisingbudgetdoritosfacebookHaloHalo-ReachKuka-KR-140marketingmicrosoftmountain-dewNoam-Murropepsiremeber-reachrobotsculptureviralxboxMon, 23 Aug 2010 13:20:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/23/get-your-big-break-in-pro-gaming-thanks-to-doritos/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/23/get-your-big-break-in-pro-gaming-thanks-to-doritos/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/23/get-your-big-break-in-pro-gaming-thanks-to-doritos/#commentsDo you want to get in fighting shape for your pro gaming debut? Turn to Doritos! The "bold, intense snack brand" announced a "Pro-Gaming Combine" -- essentially a training camp for kids who want to play Halo 3 for a living. During the three-day event, players who show promise in the areas of "slaying power, teamwork/communication, leadership, objective play and support play" will undergo further evaluation by the "MLG Scout Team," just like in sports! One four-person team and four individuals from each location winning a trip to the Major League Gaming Pro Circuit Event and National Championship Competition.

Team passes for the first event, in Nashville, Tennessee, go on sale at 7PM EST tonight, with individual passes available tomorrow at the same time. The full schedule of Combines is available after the break.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>doritoshalo-3major-league-gamingMicrosoftpro-gamingpro-gaming-combineXbox-360Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:27:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/04/you-can-choose-the-madden-11-cover-athlete/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/04/you-can-choose-the-madden-11-cover-athlete/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/04/you-can-choose-the-madden-11-cover-athlete/#comments
Another year, another Madden cover announcement. But wait, this year has a twist! EA and Doritos have teamed up with a unique promotion, allowing fans to vote on who they want to grace the cover of this year's annual gridiron update. The three candidates for this year's cover include Vikings' defensive end Jared Allen, Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne.

It may be tempting to choose your favorite athlete out of the bunch, but we urge you to play it smart. Instead, think about this as a strategic opportunity to inflict the Madden Curse on your most hated team! Best of all, you can vote every day to inflict as much negative karma as possible.

In addition to being able to decide who lands the cover of Madden 11, the Doritos-sponsored promotion also offers entry into a contest. Most notably, the weekly grand prize is a trip for two to see the NFL Draft in New York City this April. Considering you don't have to buy a single bag of Doritos to participate, this promo seems like a must for any NFL fan.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cover-athletedoritoseaea-sportsElectronic-Artsmaddenmadden-11MicrosoftNintendoWiiXbox-360Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/25/doritos-unlock-xbox-finalists-narrowed-to-two/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/25/doritos-unlock-xbox-finalists-narrowed-to-two/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/25/doritos-unlock-xbox-finalists-narrowed-to-two/#comments
We hate to pick sides, but we think we've already settled on a favorite competitor of the two Doritos Unlock Xbox finalists. See if you can detect which one.

Both finalists will work with a dev team to turn their idea into reality before being judged by the community, but we frankly don't see the point. The visceral thrill of racing combined with the heart-pounding exhilaration of knowing someone's trying to shoot your gas tank? Watch out, Gran Turismo! ... Actually, watch out, everybody ... you know, because of all the snipers.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>avatar-crash-coursedoritosdoritos-unlock-xboxharms-wayMicrosoftthe-next-great-gaming-franchiseXbox-360xbox-liveMon, 25 Jan 2010 17:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/13/unlock-xbox-finalists-announced/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/13/unlock-xbox-finalists-announced/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/13/unlock-xbox-finalists-announced/#comments
Did you vote in last year's Unlock Xbox competition? If so, did your pick make the final cut? Gamers and amateur designers were encouraged to submit their original ideas in the Doritos-sponsored competition. Out of over a thousand submissions, two will be turned into real (and free!) XBLA games. The three finalists to be considered by Microsoft execs are:

Harm's Way -- snipers and drivers team up in a game that combines racing and blowing someone's brains out. Delicious!

Avatar Crash Course -- inspired by Japanese obstacle courses, you must "press buttons, wiggle sticks, and jump up and down to survive."

Thrown -- "the whole point of it is to smash into other vehicles in order to throw the driver from their car and then run them over." A feel good game!

We're somewhat surprised by the violence involved in some of these XBLA suggestions. But perhaps we're looking in the wrong place for class, considering the last winner of Doritos' contest involved dinosaurs eating exploding trucks (seriously).

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>avatar-crash-coursecontestdoritosharms-wayindieMicrosoftthrownunlock-xboxxblaXbox-360Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/04/unlock-xbox-contest-down-to-eight-finalists-now-accepting-votes/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/04/unlock-xbox-contest-down-to-eight-finalists-now-accepting-votes/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/04/unlock-xbox-contest-down-to-eight-finalists-now-accepting-votes/#comments
Last year's free Xbox Live Arcade game from the Unlock Xbox contest, Dash of Destruction, may not have been the best game we ever played, but it was certainly far from the worst. Also, it had that whole costing nothing thing going for it, so that helped our opinions considerably. This year, our chances of getting a fun game have doubled, with the contest's 1,500 competitors vying for two spots rather than one.

The final eight contestants have been culled from the initial submissions (listed after the break), and are now available to be voted on over at the contest's website, ultimately determining three game ideas to be given final pitches at Microsoft. From there, we get two XBLA games full of Doritos' "bold, intense" branding -- and at the very least some free Achievements.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dash-of-destructiondoritosfreemicrosoftpromotionunlock-xboxxblaXbox-360xbox-liveFri, 04 Dec 2009 05:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/31/new-unlock-xbox-contest-offers-50k-prize/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/31/new-unlock-xbox-contest-offers-50k-prize/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/31/new-unlock-xbox-contest-offers-50k-prize/#comments
Microsoft and Doritos have announced that the "Unlock Xbox" competition - in which gamers compete to have their game ideas developed into a full-fledged XBLA title - is back. Xbox gamers will likely remember Dash of Destruction, the winner of the first competition, likely because it was free and offered some of the easiest Achievements around. Things are a little bit different this year, as there will be not one but two winners, both of which will see their ideas developed into an XBLA title. In addition, the fan-selected grand prize winner will receive a "$50,000 gaming consultant project for Doritos." We're not really sure what that means, but there's probably a lot of nacho cheese dust involved.

If you think you've got a gameplay idea that can top dinosaurs eating Dorito trucks (UNLIKELY!), head on over to the official Unlock Xbox site and sign up. Entries will be accepted until October 4.

If this looks like a game that should be free, well, it's because it is free. The game, you may recall, is Dash of Destruction, the winner of last year's Xbox Live Arcade Doritos promotion. After a year and change in the hands of developer NinjaBee, tasked with the rather expensive Flash-to-XBLA conversion (it costs your credibility, you know), the "game" is regrettably here. Unfortunately for NinjaBee, thirteen months of stalling was not enough time for the higher power to forget. See what happens when you bet your soul? And lose.

Thankfully, continuing in the proud tradition of Yaris (R.I.P.), Dash of Destruction will be offered to us for exactly 0. This one's on Doritos -- muchas gracias little golden ones!

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dash-of-destructiondoritosmike-borlandninjabeexblawednesdayXbox-360Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:59:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/doritos-dash-of-destruction-wins-unlock-xbox/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/doritos-dash-of-destruction-wins-unlock-xbox/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/19/doritos-dash-of-destruction-wins-unlock-xbox/#commentsAfter months of submitting, waiting, revealing, more waiting, playing and some final waiting the Doritos sponsored Unlock Xbox contest has officially come to an end. And we survived. The winning submission ended up being Mike Borland's dinosaur delivery game called DORITOS Dash of Destruction which will be fully developed and placed onto the Xbox Live Arcade sometime early next year for all to enjoy. You can preview what Dash of Destruction has to offer by trying out the demo over at the Unlock Xbox website. We aren't sure how (for the lack of a better word) cheesy the game will end up being, but it'll be free and will be used to market a product. So really ... how bad could it be? ::cough:: Yaris ::cough::

The finalists were played, the votes were tallied, and only one of the five weaksauce Doritos flash titles would be turned into an actual, factual Xbox Live Arcade title, thanks to Doritos' Unlock Xbox Competition. Announced today was the official winner: Mike Borland will be taking his game concept, Doritos Dash of Destruction, to Ninjabee Studios to be turned into a fully-working XBLA game.

Dash of Destruction has players taking on the role of either a T-Rex or a Doritos truck, in a race around a city to see who can win: the Doritos truck (by making it safely out of the city) or the T-Rex (by eating the Doritos truck). The concept is cute, but the execution on the Unlock Xbox website is practically unplayable.

Like the other four finalists, the Flash-based demo of the game was developed by advergame studio Blockdot. Clearly Blockdot had a lot on its plate while developing these demos, as they all suffer from numerous glitches and other results of rushed coding. It's clear that voting must have been based more on the concepts than the final games. Here's hoping Ninjabee -- whose previous titles include Outpost Kaloki X, Eets, and Band of Bugs -- can turn Doritos Dash of Destruction into something a bit more polished.

The call went out for submissions, finalists were chosen and now here's the chance to actually play the final beta designs in Doritos' Unlock Xbox contest. Here's an opportunity to test the games and chose your favorite. The whole process is pretty much painless and the winning design will become a full fledged game available on XBLA for free next summer. So, play the games and pick the one you wouldn't mind getting for free next year. If you want to learn more about the finalists you can always watch some bio videos produced about them. Sure, in the grand scheme it's advergaming, but at least more heart went into it than Yaris.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contestdesigndoritosxblaXbox-360xbox360Thu, 01 Nov 2007 18:40:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/29/vote-on-and-play-doritos-unlock-xbox-beta-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/29/vote-on-and-play-doritos-unlock-xbox-beta-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/29/vote-on-and-play-doritos-unlock-xbox-beta-games/#commentsThe somewhat controversial Doritos sponsored Unlock Xbox contest wrapped some two months ago and now we've been sent word that the voting phase has just begun. If you hop on over to the Unlock Xbox website, you'll be able to play the five finalists' games in their beta state and get your vote on. Though, the five games (Monkeys From Mt. Doritos, Doritos Dash of Destruction, Ultimate Dodgeball Championship, Rythum Racing and PB's Quest for Flavor) can only be demoed online in your internet browser, so for now you'll have to garner an opinion playing them that way. Some of these XBLA games are a bit shameful, some are surprisingly good, but only one can win and only the Xbox 360 community can decide. Cast your vote wisely fanboys, we don't want to have to go through another Yaris experience next year ... eesh.

In many ways adver-games are better than real games, because in playing them you learn something ... about a product. It's like edutainment, but at the end you want to buy stuff. That synergy will be coming to an Xbox Live Arcade near you thanks to Doritos' "Unlock Xbox" contest, which asked gamers to devise an XBLA game that carried the "bold spirit" of the Doritos brand. Judging from this list of finalists, they'll be giving the creepy Burger King a run for his money. Behold:

We know you have a lot of questions, like "Are the dinosaurs actually dashing for Doritos?," "Is Monkeys from Mt. Dorito the best name for a game ever?" and "Why is PB questing for flavor when there are so many delicious varieties of Doritos-brand snack chips so widely available?" The answers, in order, are "We certainly hope so," "Absolutely," and "We have no idea." Hope that helps.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advergamesdoritosunlockxboxxblaXbox-360Tue, 21 Aug 2007 08:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/20/unlock-xbox-games-and-winners-announced/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/20/unlock-xbox-games-and-winners-announced/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/20/unlock-xbox-games-and-winners-announced/#commentsMajor Nelson is back home from his North American mystery tour and so the Doritos team has now officially announced the five winners of the Unlock Xbox contest. The top five XBLA game ideas can be seen over on the official website in all their glory with winning game ideas including psychedelic effects, dinosaurs galore, chip hungry monkeys and some dodge-ball. These five winning entries have already scored their creators some sweet prizes and will now be made into game demos for everyone to try and vote on starting October 29th.

There you have it fanboys, one of these five game ideas will be making it onto the Xbox Live Arcade in the coming months for everyone to download and play. And as a consolation prize for those who submitted an idea that didn't get picked (and are a tad bitter), the Doritos folks are giving away an Xbox 360 bundle every day. See, it's not so bad.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>doritosunlockxboxxblaMon, 20 Aug 2007 11:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/15/unlock-xbox-winners-to-get-a-special-visit1/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/15/unlock-xbox-winners-to-get-a-special-visit1/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/15/unlock-xbox-winners-to-get-a-special-visit1/#commentsIf you entered your XBLA game idea into the Doritos sponsored Unlock Xbox contest be prepared, because winners will be getting a special visit soon. The Xbox community's very own Major Nelson is off on a mysterious trip around the country on a mission to surprise five lucky Unlock Xbox winners by stopping by their homes and telling them the good news. Major can't tell us exactly where he's headed, because that would of course ruin the whole "surprise" element, but be rest assured he's getting the first class travel treatment wherever he goes. And if you end up not getting a visit from Major, head over to the Unlock Xbox website August 20th when the top five better winning game ideas will be announced.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>doritosmajornelsonunlockxboxxblaWed, 15 Aug 2007 17:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/17/snack-strong-to-win-xbox-live-or-a-xbox-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/17/snack-strong-to-win-xbox-live-or-a-xbox-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/17/snack-strong-to-win-xbox-live-or-a-xbox-360/#commentsNot only is Doritos sponsoring the Unlock Xbox contest, but they're also rewarding gamers for snacking strong. Through July 22nd, when you head over to Snack Strong Productions and make your way to the Xbox 360 building (stupid flash) you can instantly win an Xbox 360 prize bundle. Heck, you don't even need a code from a Doritos bag to enter as one will be supplied. What's even better is that anyone who registers and plays will be emailed a 48 hour Xbox Live code just for playing. So, go register, get your free code and enter every day for a chance to win some hardware. Everyone's a winner when they Snack Strong ... or something like that.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>doritossnack strongSnackStrongxbox 360Xbox360Tue, 17 Jul 2007 12:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/09/free-shark-week-and-unlock-xbox-downloads/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/09/free-shark-week-and-unlock-xbox-downloads/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/09/free-shark-week-and-unlock-xbox-downloads/#commentsWe advise US Xbox Live members to swim on over to the XBLM to download a few newly free themes and gamer pictures. Discovery Channel is celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Shark Week by giving away a (somewhat bland) shark theme and a set of shark gamer pictures. And what more can we say, they're sharky? But if you hate sharks or just like Doritos, then you'll be pleased to know that there is also a free Unlock Xbox inspired theme and gamer picture set available too.

And allow us to vent a little here and point out that the Unlock Xbox theme bothers the heck out of us. Why? Because the background colors don't match the freakin' blade colors! It looks like the designers tried to match the colors, but got sort of confused by the time they painted the media blade. Hey theme makers, is it that hard to match a few colors? End rant.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>discovery channelDiscoveryChanneldoritosgamer pictureGamerPicturemarketplaceshark weekSharkWeekthemeunlock xboxUnlockXboxxblmxbox live marketplaceXboxLiveMarketplaceMon, 09 Jul 2007 09:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/26/penny-arcade-questions-doritos-unlock-xbox-contest/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/26/penny-arcade-questions-doritos-unlock-xbox-contest/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/26/penny-arcade-questions-doritos-unlock-xbox-contest/#commentsThe guys at Penny Arcade seem a little perplexed as to the Unlock Xbox marketing campaign from Doritos. Apparently, putting together a videogame based on a tortilla chip is pushing the envelope for ridiculous ideas, intense experiences notwithstanding. While the idea of getting your Arcade title's concept published on Xbox Live Marketplace is definitely a cool one, the necessity to incorporate some Doritos branding into the gameplay does seem a little cheesy. Do you mind the product placement suggested for submissions to the contest, or do you think the opportunity is too good to complain about such details?

Doritos and video games don't normally go hand-in-hand, especially when the chips make your hands all greasy and stain the controllers. Nevertheless, Doritos is attempting to change that image with their Unlock Xbox contest, which will give snack-fans the opportunity to turn their video game concepts into actual, factual Xbox Live Arcade titles.

Would-be designers can submit their game ideas online at the contest's official website, along with additional pictures, video, and sound files to really drive the pitch home. All submitted ideas can be voted on by visitors to the site, with the top five designs being developed by XBLA teams, and then placed online for voting to determine the grand prize winner. The top design gets turned into an XBLA title, and will be available for free on the digital download service.

What's the catch? Well, the concepts have to be themed around the Doritos brand. That narrows down the possibilities a bit, but constraint is the mother of innovation. And there ARE a wide range of Doritos products, right?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>contestsdoritosxblaXbox-360xbox360Thu, 21 Jun 2007 18:55:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/20/doritos-wants-you-to-unlock-xbox/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/20/doritos-wants-you-to-unlock-xbox/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/20/doritos-wants-you-to-unlock-xbox/#commentsYou dream it. We build it. That's the slogan for the latest Doritos/Xbox contest called Unlock Xbox. The contest starts tomorrow and its overall goal is to get users to submit their video game ideas and create one of the coolest games evar! The catch is that your video game idea has to incorporate the Doritos brand in some way, so Nazi soldiers or dismemberments need not apply. Judges will choose the top five ideas which will be made into betas where people visiting the site will be able to download and critique the offerings. Then, a favorite will emerge and will win the right to be placed on the XBLA. Yes, you read the correctly. The winner will see their video game creation grace the XBLA as well as receive a great Xbox 360 gaming setup.

Start getting your ideas together, whip up something cool, and eat a few bags of Doritos, because there's prizes to be won and fame to be had. Just think, you could be the lead designer of your very own XBLA game ... w00t!

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arcadecontestsdoritosgiveawaysunlock xboxUnlockXboxxblaxbox live arcadeXboxLiveArcadeWed, 20 Jun 2007 12:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/04/finally-a-use-for-pants/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/04/finally-a-use-for-pants/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/04/finally-a-use-for-pants/#commentsCraftster user Trip_and_fall has made what must be the most charming DS Lite case ever. Or the creepiest, depending on your perspective. On the one hand, it's made out of some old Frito-Lay pajamas. On the other hand, it's made out of old pants. Does that bother anyone else?

We'd also like to point out the delicious irony involved in making a pocket out of pants so that your DS Lite doesn't get scratched up in your pants pocket. Furthermore, we'd like to point out that Doritos are often even more delicious than irony.